Picking Up The Pieces
by MistressMalvagita
Summary: If Shelby couldn't handle a grown child, how could she handle a baby?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Picking Up the Pieces

Author: mistress_

Fandom/Pairing: Glee Rachel/Puck

Rating: T

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn't be writing fan fiction about it

Spoilers: Season 1

Summary: If Shelby couldn't handle a grown child, how could she handle a baby?

Author's note: This is my first Glee fic…For some reason this idea has been stuck in my head for weeks…

Author's note 2: Here are some minor changes I am making to Season 1…Quinn gave up Beth without Puck's permission (she put the adoption through claiming not to know who the father was)…I know very little about adoption laws so I am asking for creative license to move the story along in that aspect rather then actual facts…I am going with Season 1 being everyone's sophomore year…This fic is going to start ½ way through Junior year around Christmas break…I am still deciding if I will bring in Sam & Blaine, though I will say that Matt didn't move away…

Prologue

The summer between sophomore and junior year

Rachel's phone began to play 'Bad to the Bone' and she smiled as she reached to look at the message. She still chuckled to herself that not only did she let Puck change her ringtone for him, but she promised not to change to anything else. After Beth was born then given away, Puck began spending more time with Rachel. They seemed to form a weird bond based on her mother deserting her while at the same time taking Puck's child away from him. Much to everyone's surprise they seemed to mesh well. He balanced out her crazy and she calmed his anger issues.

_Whatcha doing, Berry?_

_ Whatcha isn't a word, Noah_

_ Fine. What are you doing, Berry?_

Rachel giggled. She could almost hear the growl she was sure he uttered when typing.

_ Cleaning out my closet_

_ On a Friday night? You need to get a life!_

_ Says the guy who has obviously nothing better to do then text me_

_ I'm coming over_

_ I'm busy!_

_ You work on your closet, I'll organize your underwear drawer_

_ You aren't TOUCHING my underwear drawer!_

_ Noah?_

10 minutes later Rachel heard her front door open and close, then someone striding up the stairs.

"Ever heard of knocking or ringing a door bell?" she asked Puck as he entered her bedroom.

"Ever thought of locking the doors when you are home alone?" Puck shot back while dropping onto her bed.

"Isn't there some party somewhere with beer and inebriated girls you could be taking advantage of?" Rachel sighed, though she had a small smile on her face.

"Not interested," Puck shrugged. Ever since Beth was born he seemed to look at girls differently. They were all someone's daughter and he sure as hell wouldn't want someone like himself anywhere near his daughter. "Although, if you wanted to come with me, Santana is throwing a party tonight…"

"As thoughtful as that offer is, Noah," Rachel began, "I am not yet ready to expose myself to Finn and Quinn in a social setting."

While Finn and Rachel had been on a few dates after he admitted to loving her at Regional's, it quickly became obvious that he wasn't over Quinn and never would be as evidenced by them getting back together just 2 weeks after Rachel broke up with him.

"So then it's just you and me kid," Puck grinned up at her.

Part 1

December 24th of Junior Year

Rachel was just settling down to watch _Meet Me in St Louis_ with her father's when someone began pounding on their door.

"Is Noah coming over?" Hiram Berry, Rachel's Dad, asked his daughter as he walked towards the door.

"No," Rachel replied, "he is watching Hannah tonight."

As soon as the door was opened a figure whirled into the house. On closer inspection Rachel saw it was her mother, Shelby Corcoran holding her daughter Beth. Shelby looked a little crazed and like she had been crying. Upon seeing Rachel, she shoved Beth into her arms before collapsing in the nearest chair.

"Shelby?" Leroy Berry, Rachel's Daddy, prompted. "Are you okay?"

"You have to take her," Shelby began to babble. "I can't do it. I just can't handle it. I thought I could, but I was wrong. It's too much. How did I think I could do this? You're her sister. You have to take her. Please take her. I just can't do it…"

The Berry's were all looking between themselves, Shelby and Beth not understanding what was going on. Rachel looked down at the bundle in her arms and was glad the baby was asleep. Then she moved her eyes back to her mother.

"What are you talking about, Shelby?" Rachel asked. "You need me to babysit?"

"No!" Shelby stood and looked straight at Rachel. "I thought being a mother is what I wanted, what I needed, but I was so wrong. I can't do it. I thought having someone who depended on me for everything would fill this void inside. It didn't. All I do is work and watch her. It's just too much."

"So you're feeling overwhelmed," Leroy tried to soothe the overwrought woman. "It happens to all new parents. You just need a break. Let us take Beth for the weekend then by Sunday everything will be okay…"

"No!" Shelby interrupted. "You don't understand! I can't do it! I am a horrible, selfish person, but I can't do it! I've talked to my shrink about this for weeks. I just can't handle it!"

With that Shelby started to cry and sank back into the chair. The Berry's once again exchanged looks before Hiram spoke.

"Then why are you here?" he asked quietly.

"I talked to my lawyer," Shelby began, "and he said that I could transfer custody of Beth to a relative." At that she looked up at Rachel. "I don't have any other family."

"But I'm just 17," Rachel sputtered looking between Shelby and Beth.

"I have the papers," Shelby continued, pulling them out of her bag. "Your dads just have to agree to help until you are 18. They just have to be signed and a judge has to sign off on them."

Rachel looked desperately between her fathers, not knowing what to do.

"If you can't," Shelby continued, "I'll have to turn her over to the state and she'll go into foster care. I don't want to do that to her, but if you can't…"

Rachel again looked at the little girl in her arms. She was Noah's daughter. She couldn't let Shelby put Beth into foster care. How would she ever tell him? Shelby had been occasionally emailing her pictures of Beth since she was born and Puck was always so excited to see them. He even carried one around in his wallet. Again Rachel looked at Shelby and her fathers.

"Okay," she said.

"Rachel, honey," Hiram began, "this is a lot to take in. I think we all need time to process this information…"

"I don't think Shelby has anytime," Rachel said resolutely. "I think if we don't do this she might just abandon Beth somewhere. I can't have that on my conscious. This is Noah's daughter, my sister. I can't do that to either of us."

Hiram and Leroy Berry looked at each other, both at a lose as to what to do or say. Looking at Shelby, their daughter's assessment seemed to be accurate. If they didn't take some measures right now Shelby seemed to be in a state where she just might leave the baby at the nearest church or hospital.

"Let me look at the papers," Hiram sighed, taking them from Shelby. "Leroy, call Judge Clark and have him come over. He owes me one."

An hour later all the papers had been signed and Beth's belongings removed from Shelby's car. Shelby had spent most of that time thanking Rachel then as soon as the last of Beth's things were out of her car she was on the road without so much as a goodbye to either of her daughters.

"I need to call Noah," Rachel said as she turned from the door back into the house.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

Puck stood outside the Berry house wondering what was so important that he had to come over as soon as his mom got home. All Rachel would tell him was that he needed his ass over there ASAP, though she used much bigger words like imperative and stuff. Taking a deep breath, Puck knocked and waited. He heard a flurry of activity inside before the door was flung open and Rachel stood before him.

"Hello Noah," Rachel greeted him, though she seemed a bit nervous.

"Hey Rach," Puck responded. "What the hell is so important I needed to come over now? My mom had a cow that I was going to go out this late."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Rachel began as she moved to allow him entrance. "I guess I didn't think of that. I can call her if you want. Tell her that I needed you and it is very important…"

"It's fine," Puck interrupted. "As soon as I told her it was you she practically shoved me out the door. I believe her exact words were 'Why didn't you say so? Get out of here! She's such a nice Jewish girl!' I'm expecting to get home to bridal magazines and all."

Rachel blushed at this. Puck's mother was a very sweet woman, but she seemed to have gotten it into her head that Rachel and Puck were perfect for each other. She gushed over everything that Rachel did and while she was never one to turn down praise, even Rachel had to admit it was a bit excessive.

"Why don't you sit down," Rachel hedged, feeling her nerves pick up. "There is something important I have to tell you…"

"Ya know," Puck smirked, trying to lighten what seemed to be a heavy mood, "the last time I had a conversation start like that someone told me they were pregnant." At the suddenly panicked look in Rachel's eyes, Puck's eyes widened. "Oh my God! You're pregnant? But you haven't…I mean I didn't think you had…Wait! Who did you…Where is he? I'll kill him! Did he bail? Rat bastard! I'll stand by you! After I kill him, of course…"

"Noah!" Rachel interrupted, grabbing his arm to get his attention. "I'm not pregnant! Because, you know, I haven't. But it makes my heart swell that you would not only help me, but attempt to murder that man that impregnated me."

"Well, then what it is?" Puck demanded, trying to calm himself from the idea that Rachel had sex.

"Shelby stopped by tonight," Rachel started.

"Is it Beth? Is she okay?" Puck started to panic again. Shelby had just sent Rachel some new pictures of Beth just a few weeks ago and everything looked fine.

"Beth's fine," Rachel assured him. "Shelby, however, isn't"

"What do you mean?" Puck asked, getting confused.

Rachel sighed and took a seat next to Puck on the sofa, putting her hand on his arm.

"She showed up this evening totally crazed," Rachel began. "She kept talking about how she couldn't handle motherhood. It seems she became overwhelmed with what taking care of a baby entails and she, well, as you would say went batshit. She kept rambling about how she couldn't do it anymore." Rachel could see the panic welling up in Puck's eyes again and quickly continued. "She had legal papers with her. Papers giving me custody of Beth since I am technically Shelby's biological relative. She said that if I didn't take her, she would have to put Beth into the system. I worried that if I didn't she would leave here and just dump Beth at a church or hospital or something so I signed the papers."

Rachel watched Puck as he processed the information. She saw confusion, panic, anger and relief all pass through his eyes before he spoke.

"Where is she?" he asked quietly.

"She's asleep in my room," Rachel explained. "Shelby had all Beth's things with here. Dad has a friend that is a judge that owed him a favor so we signed everything, unloaded Beth's things and then Shelby took off. She didn't even say goodbye to Beth or me." Rachel's voice started to quiver. The stress of everything suddenly hitting her. "I didn't know what else to do. If I didn't agree, I don't know what would have happened to Beth. I couldn't let anything happen to your daughter…"

Puck wrapped Rachel into his arms as her tears started to fall. He hugged her tightly as he processed the information. He gently placed his hands on either side of her face and forced her to look at him. "You did the right thing, Berry," he told her soothingly. "You saved my daughter from God knows what and I will never be able to repay you for that. God, you are the most selfless person I have ever met. You sacrifice everything for everyone else. And I am going to help. Christ, that's my daughter. I never wanted Quinn to get rid of her in the first place. You've given me a second chance, if you'll let me."

"Of course," Rachel breathed. "I remember right after Shelby took her. I saw what that did to you. I could never do that to you. I knew then and I know now that you will be an incredible father."

Puck let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. He couldn't figure out what he had done to deserve a friend like Rachel Berry, but he would do whatever it took to show her how much she meant to him. He hugged her again before asking, "Can I see her?"

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

"She is more beautiful then I remembered," Puck murmured as he cradled Beth in his arms.

Puck and Rachel had gone up to her room and Puck had stood beside the crib just watching Beth sleep. After a few minutes she started to stir and he quickly swooped her into his arms as if he had willed her to wake up so that he had an excuse to hold her. Rachel and Puck had worked together to change Beth's diaper and then she was back in Puck's arms.

"She has your eyes," Rachel said, smiling as she watched father and daughter together. She had been worried about Puck's reaction to everything, but this just confirmed to her that she had made the right decision. Rachel tried to stifle a yawn that over took her.

"You must be exhausted," Puck said, realizing how late it was and then added reluctantly, "I, um, guess I should go." He looked down at Beth longingly, almost afraid to put her down and leave for fear that this was some kind of crazy dream and she wouldn't be here in the morning.

Rachel's heart fluttered at the look on Puck's face as he gazed at his daughter. This was what he had been dreaming about since he found out Quinn was pregnant. She couldn't specifically pinpoint when he had become so important to her, but now he was one of the most important people in her life. They had a very normal friendship, but the fact that it was so normal was very odd for both of them. All their other relationships with friends were conditional while theirs wasn't.

"You don't have to go," Rachel assured him. "It's not like this would be the first night you have crashed here. I know Dad & Daddy won't mind. They want to speak to you about everything. Well, they want all of us to talk about everything and we decided that it shouldn't happen tonight, but I am certain if you stay they will bombard you with questions in the morning, but maybe you aren't ready to articulate what you are feeling or what you desire so then maybe you would feel more comfortable going home and then returning tomorrow…"

"I'll stay Rach," Puck cut her off with a chuckle at her rambling. He reluctantly placed Beth back in her crib and stepped towards Rachel's bed.

They looked at each other a little nervously. While it was true Puck at spent the night at Rachel's before, it had never been a conscious decision. When it happened in the past it was because they had fallen asleep watching a movie or TV, but actually making the conscious choice to spend the night together felt a little strange.

"I'll, um, just go change," Rachel murmured as she moved into her bathroom and closed the door.

Puck quickly shed his button down shirt, shoes and shorts leaving him in a wife beater and boxers. He sat down on 'his' side of the bed and waited for Rachel. His mind seemed to be going a mile a minute, totally overloaded with everything that had happened. He had his daughter back all thanks to his best friend, a best friend that it was getting harder and harder to resist the urge for more from. He doesn't know when that feeling started, but it was becoming more and more overwhelming. He had always been attracted to Rachel. Hell, she was hot! But when everything went down with babygate she was the only one to truly stand by him. She was the one who made sure he didn't fall behind in school and that he didn't totally isolate himself from everyone like he really wanted to. While at the time he thought he hated her for it, in retrospect, without her he'd probably be dead in a ditch somewhere. He shook his head from those thoughts and laid down on the bed to wait for Rachel.

Rachel walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas, a pair of grey shorts and a rainbow striped tank top. She looked in the crib to see Beth sleeping then moved to her bed.

"We should get some sleep while we can," Rachel sighed, pulling back the sheet on the bed and crawling under. "I don't know how long Beth will sleep for us."

"Whatever you say, wifey," Puck teased as he eased under the sheet. "I guess babies really do put a damper on a couple's sex life!"

"Noah!" Rachel blushed crimson, clearly scandalized by what he said. Though she couldn't deny the bit of longing she felt at his words.

"Just joking, Berry," Puck laughed. "C'mon, let's get some sleep while we can." He smirked and turned off the lights. "We'll discuss the sex thing later!"

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Puck awoke slowly to a noise he couldn't quite place. As his sleep induced fog cleared, however, his brain began to process the sound of cooing and more importantly, the sound of his daughter cooing. He also became aware of Rachel curled up against him with her head on his shoulder. Now Puck had a problem. Beth was awake, though not fussing, but he could to holding her. But on the other hand, Rachel was in his arms. After another minute or two, he carefully disentangled himself from Rachel and moved to the crib, smiling down at his daughter. He scooped her up into his arms and began talking quietly to her.

"Hey Sweetheart," he murmured, "Did you sleep well? I am so glad to have you back. I have missed you so much. I am never going to let anyone take you from me again. Rachel and I are going to make sure you have a wonderful life."

"As sweet as that is," Rachel's tired voice interrupted from the bed, "if you constantly pick her up she'll never be able to self-soothe."

"What the hell is self-soothe?" Puck questioned.

"Language, Noah!" Rachel quickly admonished, rolling out of bed. "And to answer your question, self-soothing is working with an infant so that they can calm themselves down when they become upset. According to many leading child psychologists it is very important for the proper emotional development of a child."

"Thanks Dr. Freud," Puck rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Beth. "Isn't Rachel funny Sweetie? You are going to learn so much from her and then I am going to let you know what to ignore."

"Noah!" huffed Rachel, "That isn't a nice thing to say! Her mind is very impressionable right now. We don't know what she is capable of retaining. Even a small little statement such as you said could lodge in her brain and set up her not liking me!"

"Calm down, Rach," Puck chuckled as he moved closer. "It was a joke. Beth is going to love you! I mean, what's not to love, right? You're smart and driven and your voice is amazing. You're caring and always put others first. Plus, you're smokin' hot!"

"Most of that was very flattering, Noah," Rachel blushed. "Though, I don't think hotness has much effect on a small child. I am going to get dressed and change Beth then we should head downstairs. I am sure my parents are waiting and I bet Beth would like some breakfast."

"Right," Puck agreed, though he was starting to feel a bit nervous about seeing her dads. While he knew they liked him, this was a pretty fucked up situation. How did they really feel about their daughter having custody of his daughter? This will definitely change Rachel's plans for the future. Would they be mad? Would they regret agreeing to let this happen once the heat of the moment had passed?

"It will all work out," Rachel soothed, seeing some panic and nerves enter his eyes. "Why don't you call your mom too? That way we can get it all out at once. To take an idea from former First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, it is going to take a village to raise this little girl. We'll have to work out school and work schedules. Maybe look into daycare."

"I'll call," Puck nodded, though feeling very wary about telling his mom what was going on. He had no doubt she will be thrilled to meet her granddaughter. Puck had never heard his mother use as colorful language as she did when she heard what Quinn had done. "You go get ready. I'll get dressed and call my mom. I don't think she works until tonight."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Part 5

Sela Puckerman's reaction to the news that her granddaughter would now be in her life was not so surprisingly positive. She had initially been shocked, as anyone would, but that quickly morphed into that of joy and excitement. She had been horrified to hear how Shelby had just abandoned her child, but was so grateful to Rachel and her father's for deciding to take custody. After spending some quality time with her granddaughter, she was ready to help in anyway she could.

"So the kids have off school for the next week," she began, "so that's covered. When I go into work tonight I can ask to have my schedule permanently changed to second shift so I can be with Beth while the kids are at school."

"Ma," began Puck before she cut him off.

"Do not 'Ma' me Noah Puckerman," she said in a clearly 'do not mess with me' voice. "While I am so proud of Rachel fro saving Beth and for you stepping up to raise your daughter, I will not stand by and let your schooling fall to the wayside. You both will continue high school until you graduate and then something will be worked out for college. If I can fix my schedule to watch my granddaughter rather then sending her to daycare I will do it."

"We couldn't agree more," Hiram nodded. "Leroy and I have been talking and we are going to try and tweak our schedules so that you don't have to give up any of your extracurriculars. We want you both to stay in New Directions and we want Noah to continue with his athletics."

"I'm going to need to get a better job," Puck added. "I still have pool cleaning, but after Finn and I paid off our debt we quit Sheets n' Things. Maybe I can get that job back"

"Maybe I should work too," Rachel piped up. "The care of an infant is exceedingly expensive and that doesn't diminish as they get older. I am sure I could handle some entry level dance classes at the local studio"

"Nonsense," Leroy Berry interjected. "As Hiram mentioned, we have talked about this extensively. We both feel your priorities should be to Beth and your schooling. Trying to add jobs to that would be too overwhelming. Though we didn't talk about it until later, I think we both knew the minute that Rachel agreed to take Beth that we would take financial responsibility for her. We are not trying to take anything from you, Noah, as her father. We have no doubt that you could financially take care of her, but if we can help we will. You are both so young to take on this kind of responsibility and we are aware that both of you would do whatever is necessary to make it work, but if we can ease your burden to get you both a better start for caring for her in the future that is what we are going to do. Hiram called our HMO today and verified that since Rachel is still a minor that Beth would still be covered under our insurance so that is taken care of. Hopefully everything will work out to avoid daycare so all we have left to discuss is living arrangements."

It took a minute for everything to process in Puck's mind. He had been thinking all morning about getting a job and how he was going to work his schedule to allow time for school and spending time with Beth and Rachel. This was like a dream to him, maybe even a fairy tale. His life was not a 'happily ever after' thing where things worked out like this. He wanted to both argue with Rachel's dads about what he felt was his responsibility and at the same time hug them for being the kind of guys they were.

"Legally speaking," Hiram spoke up, "Rachel is Beth's legal guardian. There are steps that can be taken to include Noah in this such as a paternity test. Since Quinn didn't list him on any of the paperwork when Beth was born he does have some legal rights. I am not sure, however, how that outcome would effect Rachel's guardianship. I have some calls into some friends who specialize in family law and they should be able to clear some things up about all this."

"I would like to legally prove she is my daughter," Puck finally said. "I don't want to mess anything up, but…"

Rachel grabbed Puck's hand as he trailed off and she saw tears forming in his eyes. "There isn't anything to mess up," she assured him. "I would never keep her from you and I know that this isn't what that is about. She is your daughter and you want her to know that you are her father in every sense of the word. I won't do anything to stand in the way of that."

At this point everyone at the table seemed to have tears in their eyes. Sela watched the two teens with a smile. She knew that Rachel Berry was the best thing that ever happened to her son. She noticed how they looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking and she saw such an immense change in Noah's behavior the last 9 months since Beth was born. She knew without a doubt that if Rachel hasn't been there for him her son would have self-destructed after that Quinn girl gave Beth away.

"We were thinking," Leroy began after a few minutes, "that Noah could move here since this is where all of Beth's things are. We have an extra bedroom."

"That would be fine," Sela agreed, "though I do want to have a family dinner once a week. Also, Noah will need to help with Hannah when a sitter is unavailable."

"Not a problem," Rachel smiled at how easy everything seemed to be going. "And if Noah can't watch Hannah, I would be more then willing to."

"Should this be so easy?" Puck wondered aloud before realizing he was speaking. "I mean, I'm not complaining or anything, but this is just going so smoothly."

"We all have the same goals," Hiram answered. "We all want what is best for Beth, Rachel and you. I am sure some bumps will arise along the way, but it is nothing we won't be able to handle."

Before anyone else could say anything, a soft cooing could be heard through the nearby baby monitor. Puck wasn't sure he had ever seen his mom move so fast and she jumped up and headed for the stairs.

"I've got her," Sela said over her shoulder.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

Part 6

Puck and Rachel fell into a pleasant routine as the days passed. Puck had moved into the guest room next to Rachel's. The day after the 'big meeting' Puck's mother brought Hannah over to meet her niece. The young girl was so excited to have a 'real life baby doll' to play with! Puck, Rachel and Beth spent their time between her house and his when Hannah needed to be watched. Mrs. Puckerman had bought a crib, high chair and exersaucer for her house for when Beth was there. They had also taken Beth to the doctor to make sure everything was okay. Neither wanted to think Shelby would have neglected her, but with the state she had been in they wanted to make sure. The doctor had reviewed all Beth's records and assured them she was up to date on all her shots, she was in the 70th percentile for infant height and the 50th for infant weight. She also seemed to be right on track as far as her development went.

Puck's phone beeped as he was feeding Beth her lunch on New Years Eve. He ignored it and kept feeding his daughter.

"Shouldn't you check that?" Rachel asked.

"It's just Santana, again," Noah sighed, "bugging me about her party tonight."

They hadn't told any of their friends about Beth yet. Both knowing how some people would react and not wanting to add anymore drama. They both knew, however, that with school starting back in 2 days they would have to deal with that soon.

"You should, um, go," Rachel offered. "Beth and I will be fine here." She tried to infuse her voice with cheerfulness, though she really didn't want him to go.

"Look Berry," Puck replied, "If I want to go I would. However, I have two very good reasons why I don't. First, I'm not going to a party where you weren't invited. Second, I would much rather be here with my two girls then at a party with a bunch of drunken assholes."

"Language!" Rachel quickly admonished before she continued. "If you are going to stop going to parties because I am not invited, then you won't be attending any for the rest of your high school career. It is sweet, though, that you would rather spend time with Beth then be in the company of inebriated Neanderthals and slutty cheerleaders."

"I said you and Beth," Puck pointed out then smirked as a light blush crossed Rachel's cheeks. He took Beth's empty bowl to the sink then moved back over to the high chair to clean her up. "As far as not going to any parties, I think my priorities are a bit different then they used to be. Hell, they've been different since I first found out Quinn was pregnant. Plus, I can't abandon my baby mama like that! Wouldn't be right!"

"I'm not your baby mama," Rachel giggled as she brushed past him to lift Beth up.

"Sure you are," Puck argued as a smile broke out on his face at the sight of Rachel holding Beth. "Beth is my daughter. You are Beth's mother. Add those two things together and you are my baby mama."

"I'm not Beth's mother," Rachel continued to argue. "I am her guardian."

"When she begins to talk and she calls you mommy, are you going to correct her?" Puck asked. "Going to say, sorry kid, I'm just your guardian?"

"I hadn't thought…" Rachel began. "I mean, would she? What do we tell her about Shelby? What do we tell her about Quinn?"

"Now you're getting a bit ahead of yourself, Berry," Puck chuckled. "When the time comes, I guess, we can tell her that Quinn was an incubator and that Shelby was, um, maybe we could just not mention Shelby? I don't want my daughter thinking she that something was wrong with her or some shi…I mean stuff because Shelby bailed. I want her to know she has two people in her life who love her unconditionally. That's you and me, her mom and dad."

TBC….


	7. Chapter 7

Part 7

Rachel woke up early for the first day back to school. She was very nervous as to what the day would bring. Her fathers and Mrs. Puckerman had worked very hard on rearranging their schedules so that both she and Noah could still go to school and participate in their extra curricular activities. They had only hit one snag. Everything was covered except the Monday after school New Directions practice. She and Noah needed to see Mr. Shuester first thing in the morning to discuss options. Hopefully, Mr. Shue would allow them to bring Beth and Hannah to practice. Then Hannah could 'babysit' Beth while they practice. If that couldn't happen then she and Noah would have to alternate Mondays of practice. Anyway this worked out, however, the other members of glee club would be finding out about Beth.

Rachel had hoped the baby reveal could have been postponed a little longer. Everything was still so new. She didn't think this would go well. Quinn would in no way take this well. Even though she was the one who decided to give Beth up, but Rachel was not naive enough to think Quinn wouldn't care that Beth was now in Rachel's custody. Finn would also probably take this badly. The rest of the club was up in the air. They could easily go either way.

Rachel sighed and shook her head to clear her mind. She then got out of bed and began her routine. She wanted to get everything done before Beth woke up so she could watch her while Noah got ready. Halfway through the week Rachel offered to move Beth's crib into Noah's room. She knew he wanted to be as close to her as possible as much as possible. She also realized that her normal morning routine was not conducive to having a baby in her room.

Once Rachel had finished her elliptical routine and gotten a shower she headed to Noah's room to see if they were awake. As she neared the cracked door she heard talking and smiled to herself. In the last week she found that Noah just loved to talk to Beth. He would tell her stories, about his day, about how crazy his mom was. Rachel edged closer to hear what the topic was this morning.

"…and you know I will see you at the end of the day," she heard Noah's voice. "You're going to spend the day with Savta then I will come and pick up you and Hannah and you'll get to meet some of mommy and daddy's friends. Now, some of the people you are going to meet aren't our friends, but I am not going to let anyone say anything to upset you or mommy. If you're lucky, you might get to see daddy get a little badass on some people…"

"Noah!" Rachel couldn't help but giggle as she entered the room. "You will not be going badass on anyone today, especially in front of Beth!"

"You're words say no, but your tone says you love when I go badass on people," Puck chuckled.

"Regardless of the badass appeal," Rachel responded and then blushed when she realized what she said. "Your daughter doesn't need to experience that yet. Now I need to get her dressed and fed while you get ready. Remember, we need to drop Beth off with your mother then get to school early to talk to Mr. Shue."

"Gotcha Berry," Noah smirked as he placed Beth in her arms. "I'll meet you two downstairs for breakfast."

Rachel took a deep breath as she entered the choir room. The talk with Mr. Shuester had gone well and he agreed that Hannah and Beth could come to rehearsal. Now Rachel just had to explain this to the members of New Directions before Puck returned to school with Hannah and Beth. After everyone arrived, Mr. Shue called everyone to attention and gave the floor to Rachel.

"Thank you, Mr. Shuester," Rachel began, her eyes scanning the people in front of her. "I have an announcement that I need to make…"

"Finally going to quit school and join the freak show?" Santana cut her off.

"Santana!" Mr. Shuester admonished. "I gave the floor to Rachel and you will all sit and listen to what she has to say without commentary." 

"As I was saying," Rachel continued, "something happened over winter break that is going to affect glee club slightly. My mother came to visit."

Rachel immediately noticed Quinn perk up at the news and it also seemed to get everyone else's attention too.

"It would seem that motherhood didn't agree with her," Rachel continued.

"Where is Beth?" Quinn suddenly demanded.

"I am getting to that," Rachel went on. "She came to my house and was an absolute mess. She demanded that I take custody of Beth or she would put her into foster care. So I did. Shelby brought all the legal papers with her and once they were signed she took off and we haven't heard from her since."

"She gave YOU custody of MY daughter?" Quinn demanded.

"Actually, she gave me custody of her daughter," Rachel corrected. "You gave up rights to Beth when she was born and then you didn't change your mind in the first 3 months of Beth's life."

"Where's Puck?" Santana suddenly asked.

"He is picking up Beth and his sister Hannah," Rachel explained. "He and I have decided to raise Beth together. Our parents are helping and we have a schedule worked out to watch Beth so Noah and I can still attend school and our extracurriculars. The only snag is this Monday rehearsal. Noah and I talked to Mr. Shue this morning and he agreed to let us bring Hannah to help watch Beth so both Noah and I can attend."

To say everyone was stunned was a bit of an understatement. Quinn looked like she might explode and Santana's face was bright red. Everyone else seemed to look confused as they processed the information.

"Puck blew me off all vacation because he was playing fucking house with you, Manhands?" seethed Santana.

"No," Puck's voice sounded from the room's door. "I blew you off because I had no interest in seeing you. Now lay off the language in front of my sister and daughter."

He entered the room carrying Beth in her car seat with Hannah trailing behind him. He walked to where Rachel was standing and surveyed the group in front of him. From the looks he was getting he knew this was going to take a bit of a heavier hand then Rachel had.

"Berry," he looked at the petite brunette beside him, "why don't you take Hannah and Beth to the bathroom and do a diaper change. I'll handle it in here."

Rachel looked like she might argue, but instead took Beth from Puck while he handed the diaper bag to Hannah. She headed out of the room having a good idea what was about to transpire.

As soon as Rachel had the girls out of the room Puck turned his attention back to the group in front of him.

"I'm sure Rachel was all polite and shit with what she said," he began, his voice low and threatening, "but that's not me. A lot of crazy shit went down this week and we are doing the best we can to cope. You guys can either be supportive or you can fuck off, up to you. You will not, however, give Rachel any crap about this. From what she and her dad's said, Shelby was batshit and threatened to dump Beth off somewhere if she didn't take custody. She has given me a second chance with my daughter and I will not let anyone in this damn school do anything to upset her."

On the last sentence, his eyes were fixed on Quinn and Santana.

"Rupaul is not raising my daughter!" Quinn growled as she stood and moved towards Puck. "She deserves better then that!"

"What Beth deserved," Puck retorted, "was a better incubator then you. All you ever wanted was to get rid of her. You did that so back the fuck off. Beth isn't your responsibility anymore."

"She is MY DAUGHTER!" Quinn yelled.

"You gave up that right," Puck angrily replied. "You handed her over to that nut job, though I don't know why that is so surprising. You had been willing to let Mr. Shue's ex pretend to be pregnant and give her Beth. You didn't care about her then so you don't get to pretend you care about her now!"

"That is enough," Mr. Shuester intervened. "This is getting out of control and isn't helping the situation. I know this is difficult for many of you, but this is the way it is."

"This is far from over," seethed Quinn as she went back to her seat, grabbed her things and left the room. Finn quickly got up and followed.

"Does this mean I get to be Aunt Britney?" Britney asked happily from her seat.

TBC….


	8. Chapter 8

Authors Note – Sorry it took so long for the update…My hard drive crashed and I lost everything I had written…Hope you enjoy

Part 8

"Rachel's teaching me how to make lasagna!" Hannah told Puck excitably as he entered the Berry kitchen with Beth.

"That's great, squirt," Puck smiled at his sister's enthusiasm. He again caught himself thinking about how easily Rachel had rolled with all the changes in her life. Not only with he and Beth, but she had accepted Hannah into their routine as if she had always been there. He thought his sister had a little hero worship thing going on with Rachel now. He put Beth in her highchair as he watched Rachel explain to Hannah how to brown the beef correctly. "Ya know, Berry, for someone who is all vegan and stuff, you sure cook a lot of meat."

"As much I would love to convert everyone in this family," Rachel replied, looking at Puck over her shoulder, "I understand that my dietary choices are a little strict. I can not see my fathers or you converting to tofu and soy milk."

"That's nasty," Puck grimaced. "And why do they call it soy milk? There is nothing milk like about it. I still have nightmares about the morning I grabbed that instead of the real stuff. I can't figure out how you can drink that!"

"It is an acquired taste," Rachel acquiesced, "but I am committed to doing what is best for my body and this is the choice I have made."

"The meats all brown," Hannah interrupted. "What now?"

GgLlEeEe

Rachel was awoken by crying in the middle of the night. She got out of bed and went in search of the sound, finding Puck walking around the family room with a crying Beth, trying to soothe her.

"What's wrong?" Rachel asked quietly as she approached the pair. While Beth had her fussy moments, they had found that she was usually a very good sleeper.

"Sorry we woke you," Puck apologized. "I don't know what's wrong. I changed her and tried to burp her. She doesn't seem hungry. She's drooling a lot, though."

"She's probably teething," Rachel surmised. "Let me get her some Tylenol. That might help."

How do you know all this shit?" Puck asked Rachel as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Language, Noah!" Rachel admonished first before replying. "When I was younger I babysat. To make sure I was adequately qualified, I took the Red Cross babysitter course at temple."

"Maybe I should take that," Puck muttered as he watched Rachel give the medication to Beth then wrap a piece of ice in a cloth and let her suck on it."

"As much as I applaud you wanting to better your parenting skills," Rachel giggled, "I can't quite picture you sitting in a room with 12 year old girls learning to change diapers and such. Though it might make a wonderful YouTube video."

"Ha ha, Berry," Puck grumbled. "Sometimes I just think that maybe Quinn was right, that I am not cut out for this…"

"You stop right there!" Rachel demanded, frowning. "No new parent knows what they are doing. It is a learning process. Ask Daddy to tell you the diaper story if you don't believe me."

"Diaper story?" Puck asked.

"Apparently, Dad and Daddy thought I had a urinary problem because I always leaked out of my diaper," Rachel explained, blushing. "It turns out they were just putting the diaper on backwards."

"Okay," Puck chuckled, "that does make me feel a little better. And it looks like you were right."

Puck gestured to Beth who looked to be nodding off in her father's arms.

"You should get her back in her crib," Rachel smiled at the picture they made.

"Come help?" Puck asked.

"When did you become incapable of putting her to sleep?" Rachel cocked her eyebrow.

"Oh, I am MORE then capable, Berry," Puck teased. "I'm just not that tired anymore and want company."

"I wonder how many Cheerios you've used THAT line on," Rachel chuckled as they made their way upstairs.

"Cheerios don't need lines," Puck scoffed as he lay Beth down. "They just need a letterman jacket."

"Charming," Rachel wrinkled her nose as she sat on the bed.

"And that was a long time ago," Puck reminded her as he moved to sit beside her. "That was back before Beth, before you."

"Me?" Rachel squeaked, noticing just how close he was sitting to her.

"Yes you, Berry," Puck chuckled at her nervousness. "I've always thought you were hot, but you are so much more then that. You're so driven and determined. When you decide what you want nothing is going to stop you. If you hadn't picked me as a project, I don't know where I would be now. For some reason you see something in me no one else does. Besides my mom, and she, like, has to, no one has ever really believed in me in a good way. I was always treated like I was going to end up like my dad, so that is how I acted."

"You are nothing like your father!" Rachel insisted, resting her hand on his bicep.

"I know, Rach," Puck smiled at her immediate defense of him. "And the reason's I am not are in this room."

"I think you give me too much credit," Rachel argued.

"You never get enough credit," Puck countered. "You know, before Shelby went crazy, I was working up the courage to ask you out. I wanted to make sure you were over Finn and that you would take me seriously. Now I'm worried that you might think I am asking just because of the whole Beth thing."

"You want to ask me on a date?" Rachel questioned.

"Have for awhile," Puck shrugged. "I didn't want to break up with you last year. I was never in love with Quinn like everyone thought. I was in love with my kid and wanting to give her the life I thought she needed. But I knew that you thought you loved Finn and I didn't stand a chance against that."

"If you ask," Rachel said shyly, "I'll say yes."

"Good to know," Puck smiled and took her hand in his. "So, Rachel, if I can find a babysitter would you like to go out with me tomorrow night?"

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Part 9

Rachel studied her reflection in the mirror. A part of her felt a little silly getting so worried about what she was wearing on her date. Puck has seen her when she first gets up in the morning, all wrinkled pajamas and bed head and he still asked her out. None the less, here she was, trying on her third outfit. There were certain things she knew Puck liked. He liked her hair down, her short skirts and would prefer no animals on her sweaters. She currently had on her favorite black skirt, a red sweater set and a pair of black heels. As her eyes strayed back to her closet again, she stopped herself, grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

As she made her way downstairs she heard Puck and her father's talking. She found herself smiling, again, at the weird situation they found themselves in. She was being taken out on a date by the boy she was raising a child with while they lived in her father's house. Yet, it totally worked for them.

"We thought your closet might have swallowed you," her dad teased.

"Ha ha," Rachel responded, feeling a blush settle on her cheeks. "Noah won't tell me where we are going so I wasn't sure what to wear."

"All in good time, Rach," Noah smiled at me. "By the way, you do look great."

"Thanks," I feel myself blushing again and look down at the floor.

"You guys should get going," Daddy said with a chuckle in his voice. "Don't want to miss your reservations."

"Reservations?" I squeak, looking at my ensemble again. "Are you sure I am dressed okay?"

"You look perfect," Noah assured me. "Besides, if you go slip into an evening gown, I don't think my khakis and shirt will look as nice."

"Did Kurt dress you?" I blurt out before I can stop myself. Looking at his outfit, he looked amazing, but it wasn't quite him.

"He tried," Noah chuckled. "If it were up to him I would be in dress pants and a tie would be involved. This was our compromise and I dressed myself. Now let's hit the road before Beth decides to wake up and we start feeling guilty about leaving her."

GgLlEeEe

"I've been wanting to try this restaurant for AGES," I gush to Noah as he parks the car. "They have an extensive vegan and vegetarian menu."

"So I was told," Noah smirks at me. "Tina, Kurt and Mercedes all texted me today about how you have been trying to get someone to go with you here. Though I don't know why I didn't know about it."

"It's not your thing," I reply immediately. "You are very much a steak and potatoes kind of guy."

"True," he agreed as we exited the car, "but I am still willing to try things for my girl."

"Your girl?" I flush.

"Sure," Noah shrugged and takes my hand. "This date just makes it official."

"I like the sound of that," I smile happily as we walk into the restaurant.

GgLlEeEe

As we pull back into the driveway at the house I see an odd expression on Noah's face.

"What is it?" I ask.

"I'm not sure what to do now," Noah shrugged. "Normally, you walk a girl to her door, give her a kiss and go home. What do you do when you live in the same place?"

"Walk me to the door," I smile shyly, "give me a kiss and then we will both go in and check on Beth."

"And after we check on Beth?" Noah asks before exiting the car to walk around to my side and open the door for me.

"Maybe we will watch a movie or something," I shrug, trying to sound nonchalant, but feeling very nervous none the less.

"Hhmmm," Noah seemed to consider that. "I don't want you to think I am easy or anything. This is just our first date."

I can't help but laugh.

"We can sit on opposite ends of the sofa," I offer through my giggles. "I wouldn't want you to feel like I was pressuring you or anything."

"And what would you like to pressure me into, Berry?" he smirks at me and I can feel the atmosphere around us change. We have made it to the porch and I am leaning against one of the posts with him leaning over me.

"You know me," I shrug, trying to sound casual, but I can hear the breathy quality that has creeped into my voice. "I'm a sex shark and if I stop moving, I'll die."

"You did not just say that," Noah laughs and pulls me into his arms, burying his head against my neck.

"I believe I did," I smile and hug him back.

Noah pulls back slightly, looks into my eyes then leans in. As his lips lightly brush mine, my eyes close and I think I either moan or whimper, I am not sure which. I knew Noah and I always had chemistry, our failed attempt at dating last year was a testament to that, but with actual feelings added in, I don't think anything had ever felt so perfect. This was nothing like kissing Finn or Jesse. Those were nice, but nice is not how I would describe this. This kiss is like those ones you see in Disney movies where magic seem to start to swirl around the participants or something. My body tingles, my toes curl and all too soon he is pulling away with a smile on his face.

"Let's check on Beth and get to that movie."


	10. Chapter 10

Part 10

Living with your boyfriend had both advantages and disadvantages Rachel soon found out. The biggest advantage being the amount of time you could see each other. The biggest disadvantage she was noticing was how people were insinuating things regarding her relationship with Puck that just weren't true. It had been a week since there first official date and she had to stop Puck from beating up about 5 guys who made inappropriate comments to her.

"Noah," she tried to reason with him again, "teenagers are idiots and will say stupid things. We can't fly off the handle every time one of them opens their mouth."

"Fly off the handle?" Puck fumed. "When some asswipe suggests that my girl is 'open for business', there is no flying. There is ass kicking."

"You need to calm down," Rachel tries again. "We're almost home and you being upset will just get Beth upset. I don't care what those people at school think. You and I know the truth. Our friends and family know the truth. The rest of them don't matter."

"I know," growled Puck, "and if they were just saying shot about me, I would let it go, but it isn't me! They are talking shit about you and you don't deserve it!"

"That is so sweet," Rachel's eyes tear up.

"Huh?" Puck asks, clearly confused.

"You are upset because they are talking about me," Rachel tries to explain. "You care that what they are saying might be upsetting to me."

"Um, yeah," Puck agrees. "You're my girl and NO ONE talks shit about my girl!"

"That might be one of the most romantic things anyone has ever said to me," Rachel replies, smiling brightly.

GgLlEeEe

Just as the Berry/Puckerman household was about to settle in for dinner, there is a knock on the door. Since Puck is the closest, he goes to open the door. On the other side is an unknown man in a suit with 2 envelopes in his hand.

"May I help you?" Puck asks.

"I am looking for Noah Puckerman and Rachel Berry," the man replied dully.

"I'm Noah," Puck replied, then gestured to Rachel, "and that is Rachel.

"You have been served," the man responded, slid the envelopes into Puck's hand and walked away.

"What?" Puck sputtered, looking between the empty doorway, the envelopes and the table where everyone else was seated.

"Let me see the letters, Noah," Ephraim Berry said. After taking them from Puck and scanning them, he turned to everyone. "It looks like Ms. Fabray is attempting to sue for custody."

This announcement sent the room into chaos. Everyone was talking at once and not really listening to anyone else. Rachel looked pale, Puck looked like he wanted to punch in a wall, Hannah looked confused and the parents all looked varying levels of angry.

"She has no rights," Rachel stated as the room calmed down. "She gave Beth up. She has no rights."

"No she doesn't," her father agreed. "In the petition, it looks like she is attempting to show that you and Noah are unfit parents and that Beth is being raised in an unfit environment. To be honest, this looks to be the work of Ms. Fabray's father."

"He has tried to run us out of town several times," Leroy Berry frowned. "All of his Christian morals don't like a gay couple."

"They can't take her away!" Noah ground out. "I won't let them!"

"None of us will," Sela Puckerman assured her son. "He is just blowing smoke and trying to start something that he will not be able to finish."

"That's right," Ephraim reiterated. "Quinn has no legal right to Beth and this environment is perfectly acceptable. You both had been expecting Quinn to do something and it looks like this is it. What we need now is to come up with a foolproof game plan. Since I am personally involved in the case, I will find another lawyer at my firm to handle it. We will have a meeting tomorrow and get all out ducks in a row."


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Sorry about the lack of update. I ended up having a medical issue that required surgery and a lengthy recovery which put me VERY behind in school.

Part 11

Rachel fidgeted in her seat as the lawyer from her father's firm went over everything with them. There was a lot of legalize being thrown around, but she was pretty sure that everything was in their favor. She kept glancing at Puck as he was listening to Mr. Smith with his full attention.

"…and in conclusion," Mr. Smith finished, "Noah and Rachel hold all the legal cards here. Ms. Fabray does not have a leg to stand on so to speak."

"So we are doing everything possible?" Rachel asked.

"Short of the two of you being married," Mr. Smith smiled at me, "there is nothing else you could do."

"Being married would help our case?" Rachel asks.

"Well," Mr. Smith reluctantly answered, looking at my father, "legally speaking, a married couple would have a much stronger case, but as I just stated, you and Noah have nothing to worry about."

"But being married would make the case that much stronger?" Rachel pushed.

Mr. Smith looked between Rachel, Puck and Mr. Berry, obviously not sure how to answer.

"Now Rachel," her father began.

"No Daddy," Rachel interrupted. "I promised Noah that we would do everything in our power to keep Beth. We are both 18."

"What are you saying, Rachel?" Puck asked.

"I think we should get married," Rachel stated very seriously. "I love you and I think you love me. We plan on raising Beth together. This will lock in our commitment to Beth and a future for our family."

"I do love you," Puck replied, taking her hand, "but I don't want you to throw away your future on me. I'm a screw up. I ruin everything I come into contact with. I need you around to make sure I don't screw up Beth, but you deserve so much better then me."

"You are NOT a screw up!" Rachel glared at Puck. "Yes, you have made mistakes, but who hasn't? My future changed as soon as Shelby placed Beth in my arms. She is our daughter. To be honest, this isn't even a spur of the moment idea either. I thought of it last night after I went to bed and spent several hours and a few pro/con lists thinking about it. I still have them at home if you want to see them." An idea seemed to hit Rachel and her eyes got very wide, "Unless, of course, you don't want to. I'm sorry Noah…I didn't think…"

"Hold it right there, Rach," Puck interrupted. "To be honest, the thought crossed my mind before last night. Not in this fucked up way, but as something that might happen in the future, maybe after college. But I don't want you rushing into something just because you are worried about Beth."

"Kids," Mr. Berry interrupted. "Why don't we take this conversation back home? Thank you, John, for all your help. I'll call you later for an update."

GgLlEeEe


	12. Chapter 12

Part 12

Once the trio got home, the whole family sat down to discuss what the lawyer had said. Rachel had even retrieved her pro/con lists as evidence she had thought this through. Hannah thought it was an amazing idea and was ecstatic about the possibility of Rachel becoming her sister. Mr. & Mr. Berry were a bit more reluctant while Mrs. Puckerman was stuck between seeing her dream of Rachel as a daughter in law come true and the fact that both Rachel and Noah were so young. In the end, Rachel and Noah went upstairs to talk alone because it was their decision to make.

"I think we should do it, Noah," Rachel insisted as she paced before her bed where Puck sat.

"I know you do," Puck replied, grabbing her hand and pulling her between his legs. "Like I said before, it isn't like I haven't thought about it, but I was thinking in another 2 to 4 years. Maybe graduate high school and get some college under our belt first. I just don't want you to regret anything. I don't want you to wake up one morning and realize what a huge mistake you made. I know you will love Beth forever, but, well, I can be kind of an asshole."

"Noah!" Rachel immediately admonished. "If you want to start comparing negative personality traits, I am certain I can outmatch you. I am overbearing, bossy, a bit egocentric, driven, loud…Should I go on?"

"But those are all part of your charm," Puck smirked. "You have no idea how hot you look when you get all bossy and shit. Plus, I kind of need those things in my life. You keep me in line, kind of."

"And you keep me from being too overwhelming," Rachel countered. "You don't take 'my crap', as you like to call it. You stand up to me when it needs to be done. See, we balance each other out. I know we are young, I know this will only fuel the fire of the people at school, but I think we really could make it work. I love you, you love me and we both love Beth."

"I know we could make it work," Puck agreed, "but when we get married I don't want it to be because we were forced into it and the best thing we have to say about it is that we will make it work. Makes it sound doomed from the start and shit. I'm not saying it won't happen, I am saying I want it to happen on our terms and not because Quinn fucking Fabray decided to go super bitch on us."

"I know what you are saying makes since," Rachel sighed as she moved to sit on Puck's lap, "I'm just worried if we don't do everything we can…"

"I know baby," Puck assured her as he held her tight. "Just remember what the lawyer said. We have all the legal rights."

GgLlEeEe

Two weeks after the initial summons, it was their day in court. Rachel was nervously flitting around her bedroom getting ready. She was on her third outfit and considering changing again when Puck knocked on her door and stuck his head in.

"C'mon Rach," he said slowly taking in her appearance. "We gotta get to the courthouse."

"I know," Rachel fretted as she looked into her closet one more time. "I'm just not sure that this outfit is right. I don't want to look like I am trying too hard to look proper, but I still want to look like I put in some effort. The red dress just seemed a bit too risqué and the blue one seemed too 'get thee to a nunnery'. I just want to make sure the judge seems me as responsible and mature."

"You look great," Puck assured her. "The judge and everyone else in that courtroom is going to love you and see without a doubt that you should be the one raising Beth."

"Right," Rachel tried to sound confident as she agreed. "I can do this. We can do this."

"Damn straight," Puck agreed and moved to give her a quick hug and kiss. "My mom and your dad are waiting for us. Your Daddy and Hannah are all set up with Beth. Let's get this show on the road and kick some Fabray ass!"

GgLlEeEe

Rachel had to hand it to Quinn, she was really working the innocent all American girl thing. She had been on the stand going on and on about how she had made a mistake and was scared and panicked, never meaning to actually give her daughter away. She cried about being such a good Christian girl, having a loving boyfriend and then getting taken advantage of by Puck. Rachel could almost hear the violins playing when she spoke. However, once Mr. Smith was allowed to cross examine, things went downhill very quickly for Quinn. There were enough witness statements from people there both during the pregnancy and once Quinn found out about Puck and Rachel getting custody that by the time Mr. Smith was done, there were more holes in Quinn's story then a slice of Swiss cheese. Add to that the fact that Mr. Smith got Mr. Fabray on a rant about how homosexuals will be the downfall of society, clearly showing his prejudices while not being able to substantiate any of his claims regarding the lifestyle of Rachel's fathers.

In the end, the judge didn't even leave to deliberate before dismissing the case against Rachel and Puck and even going so far as to bar any member of the Fabray family from attempting to contact Beth. Quinn left the courtroom in a huff with Finn chasing behind her.

Once everything was taken care of all Rachel and Puck wanted to do was get back to Beth.

GgLlEeEe

"CONGRATULATIONS!" everyone screamed as Rachel, Puck, Mr. Berry and Mrs. Puckerman entered the Berry house. It kind of looked like a party store had exploded in the living room. The whole Glee Club (with 2 obvious exceptions) were there along with Mr. Shue and Miss Pillsbury. Rachel's dad was holding a clapping Beth while Hannah was bouncing around excitably. Puck and Rachel went and immediately scooped up Beth before thanking all their friends and family for their support.

"I love you Rachel Barbra Berry," Noah whispered in Rachel's ear as they watched their friends and family celebrate. "It's you, me and Beth forever."

THE END


End file.
